I crinkle my brows. “Why are you so excited about Massimo Bonetti being here?”
“I’m not excited. Well, unless you’re excited, then I’m definitely excited.”
“And why would I be excited?”
“Ummm …”
I tilt my head at her. “What aren’t you telling me, Izzy?”
“Nothing. It’s just… I don’t know. Massimo Bonetti is a very successful and very attractive man, and you’re?—”
I hold my hands up to her. “Let me stop you right there. If you thinkanythingcould ever happen between me and Massimo, I’m going to have to kick you out of the friend group.”
She’s about to speak, but a knock sounds at my door. My heart drops, knowing the last interruption we had.
“C-come in,” I call out.
The door opens and Lux, my cousin Teo’s wife, peeks her head in. “You guys ready for lunch?”
Shit. I completely lost track of time.
“Yes,” I say far too eagerly, desperate to get out of the hot seat with Izzy. “Is Amalia here too?”
Lux pushes the door all the way open, revealing my other cousin Enzo’s wife. “We’re starving,” she says.
“Baby DiMaggio could use all the carbs right now,” Lux says, running her hand over her stomach. She and Izzy are both due with baby girls, only five days apart. It’s so exciting I’m about to become a two-time auntie in such a short amount of time.
“Perfect timing,” I say, jumping out of my seat and grabbing my purse. Izzy eyes me suspiciously. “Come on, I’m hungry.”
I can feel her sharp on my heels. “This isn’t over yet, Liana,” she sings from behind me.
Lux raises a brow. “What’s not over?”
“Ignore her,” I say, which has her and Amalia exchanging a confused look.
We walk down the block to a bakery that serves the best sandwiches in the city. I’m thankful Izzy didn’t bring up Massimo on the way here. I’m not sure how to explain being propositioned by one of New York’s most lethal men, especially when no one knows the little history we have.
When we take a seat at one of the window tables, everyone’s quiet.Too quiet.It honestly doesn’t even feel natur?—
“Okay, what’s going on?” Lux says.
“Yeah, you two haven’t said a word ever since we left the boutique,” Amalia says.
I snap my head up from the menu I wasn’t even reading. It’s not like I ever venture outside of my usual.
“Nothing’s going on,” I say in an octave much higher than my regular voice.
Amalia raises a perfectly arched brow, and Lux looks over at Izzy, who’s trying to hide behind her menu.
“Okay, neither of you are fooling us, so out with it,” Lux says.
I sigh, setting down my menu and side-eye Izzy. “This is your fault, you know that, right?”
“Oh, good,” she says, setting her menu down. “We’re talking about it now? I honestly don’t know how long I was going to be able to bite my tongue for.”
Amalia and Lux exchange another confused look.
“Okay, look, what I’m about to tell you guyshasto stay between us. Got it?”
